Can a name save you
by ScottyBgood
Summary: A random encounter quickly becomes dangerous for people who have no idea just what their facing. Tori Vega may be semi-famous, but that won't protect her from predators who think that they can get away with whatever they want. No more then being the child of a police officer can. But she's dating Jade, and that has to count for something. One shot, established Jori.


Disclaimer: Don't own.

Inspired by "Whisper in The Dark" by Azkadellio, but not really based on anything.

:}

Tori, Cat and Jade were enjoying an evening at Nozu, trying to decide what they wanted to eat. It'd been a quit enough evening, since there wasn't karaoke that evening. They'd been debating what they wanted to do with the reminder of their night, when a couple they'd barely paid any attention too seemed to make up their minds and approach, the woman leading, the man hanging back.

"Well well, look what we have here." Michelle drolled out. "Looks like a group of girls, and they say your from that wanna be school, Hollywood Arts. I'm guessing thats why they don't have karaoke here this evening." She smiled at them, absentmindedly pushing a rogue strand of her long blond hair back into place. Her hair, carefully coiffed and set, spilled over her shoulders and down her back, enhancing the look of her chosen outfit for the evening. The blond wore expensive cloths, designer labels under a simple yet elegant red dress, all hidden under her multi-colored coat. "So, wanna-be's, mind some company?"

"You'll wanna be watching your mouth." Jade threatened, but she was boxed into their booth by Tori, making it impossible to leap up and use her height to try and dominate this woman. Cat, unfortunately, was alone, sitting across from her two friends, leaving an open spot next to her on the bench seat. Michelle moved her with proximity alone, sitting next to her and across from Tori, smiling an evil, conniving smile.

"My my, aren't we feisty." She purred. "But I don't take anything children say too seriously. I mean, you're still with mommy and daddy, haven't faced the realities of the big, bad world yet. Trust me, when you grow up, you'll realize just how much you've been pretending."

"I live with my friend, and run an unlicensed babysitting business." Cat pointed out. "We're in the real world, except we don't pay rent, and my Nona gives us money for groceries, to supplement the amount we make babysitting."

"Now isn't that adorable." Michelle said, glancing at Cat. "I'd say your the most responsible of the group, and you act like a child. See, you all have so much growing up to do." Her glance spoke of contempt, as she measured the girls, deciding if they were worthy of her further taunting. Her green eyes, however, were starting to look more and more at the couple across from her. She was guessing what roll each played in their little group, and who would be the source of tonight's fun.

Across the table, Jade was glaring back at, and through, her. Under her skin, it felt like her blood was rushing as the anger was rising. Jade found herself conflicted, an internal struggle about what was the best form of torture to use on this invader who was now sitting at their table, assuming she didn't have to deal with this wench some other way. She'd already sized the woman up, taller then Cat, but not Tori, maybe five foot five, with a thin but athletic built. 'She looks more aerobicised then parkour, so maybe she's more talk then fight. Also, they say martial arts teaches people not to pick fights, to choose your battles, and to look for other solutions. But we all know that doesn't always work, and this woman, she's looking for a fight. I wonder, whats she got up her sleeve, or is she counting on us not escalating to more then words. Her type, they like to cut you down, usually when they know there's nothing you can do about it. So whats her backup, or is there more to her then meets the eye?' Jade was caught up in her thoughts, unable to look away from the blond, watching for some clue that would tell her what this woman wanted, even as her own temper was flaring with each put down the woman offered in a honey sweet voice.

Michelle could tell she was getting to Jade, that the goth was already measuring her up, deciding on how to handle the presumptuous woman. 'If she only knew...' She thought, smiling just a bit more, letting everyone know how little she thought of Jade's potential threat. The others, it seemed, knew what was going on, and weren't being drawn in. Maybe it was because they'd dealt with Jade, the obvious mean girl, for years, and understood how pushy some people could be. Michelle had other theories. 'That one, the Latin girl, she's polite, trying to ignore the problem while maintaining peace. She has no idea how little that works with certain people, like the goth wanna be. But cheek bones will let me pick away at her friends, for now, until she tries to stand up for them, and gets smacked down. No, she's easy. It's this redhead I'm worried about. It's almost like she see's someone pushing their way into her group as an adventure. Doesn't she know how dangerous strangers can be? Maybe I chose right to call her the most mature, cause it feels like the others don't agree.' Michelle made sure she was the center of everyone's attention. "So, wanna-be's, what do you do at that school of yours?"

That was when the man decided to approach. "Michelle, please, we don't just invade others space." He gave the girls an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry about, um, her." He said, trying to sound sincere. The man was tall, taller then Beck, with a muscular build reminiscent of Andre's. White, with dark hair and eyes, he was handsome in a rough sort of way. "So, what are we talking about?" He asked as he pulled a chair from another table and sat down at the end of the booth, despite his scolding of his girl about her just invading the Hollywood Arts girls space.

"We were talking..." Cat started, trying to be friendly in the face of this semi polite invasion.

"Wait, sorry, forgot something." The man said. "The names Andrew. I'm attending Nothridge Community Collage with my girlfriends here." He flashed a bright, friendly smile. "I see you've met Michelle, my girl"

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance." Michelle purred, all the while gloating with her eyes. "Now Andy, these girls are from Hollywood Arts. I heard misses Lee mentioning them. I get the feeling they did something bad to her daughter..."

"Yea, we kinda left her hanging, literally." Tori started, not sure how to explain that.

"It was for a play." Cat explained. "Daisy, Misses lee's daughter, she can't act, has less talent then Trina, who's Tori here's sister. However, since Misses Lee was funding the play, we had to put her in it. Daisy, tha is. We'd probably have dome better with Mrs Lee. So opening night, Tori and Jade here, came up with a plan to leave Daisy hanging, in her flight harness, and not have her cue said. I think it also involved distracting Mrs Lee. Anyways, with that taken care of, we did the play the way it was supposed to be done, and it worked. The play rocked, and mister West, Jade's dad, loved it. That is, he almost smiled, cause the man is so cold and judgmental. It's like Jade can't do anything right, even when she does, all he does is act like thats whats expected. Shouldn't they have more then just a carrot to hit the mule with. Not saying Jade's a mule, and I guess it's better then being hit by the stick, but still, a reward would be nice. Maybe something the person wants. I wonder, what would the mule like? I guess it would like the carrot, if it got to eat it. But I don't see how you could convince a mule that pulling a wagon would help it eat a carrot. Don't get me wrong, I love animals, but Mules can be so stubborn, like they don't even acknowledge your talking to them. Their as stubborn as, I don't know, some stubborn animal, I guess." She smiled, somehow feeling like she'd explained everything.

"Okay, that brings up a point on manors." Michelle said, looking across the table. "Like how we've introduced ourselves, but you kids haven't even tried. But from what this one said, I'm guessing one of you is Tori, and the other Jade? Am I right?"

"Tori Vega." The Latina said.

"Jade West." The pale girl added, her narrowed eyes never leaving Michelle.

"And I'm Cat." Cat added. "Cat Valentine, like the holiday, but I'm not a saint. Saint Cat, that would be weird. I mean, how does one become a saint, anyways?"

"CAT!" Jade snapped, and the smaller girl went quiet.

Tori's hand reached over to grasp Jade's, an act that calmed the pale girl, dimmed the fire in her teal eyes. "Jade, calm." She whispered, hoping not to alert the new people of too much. But to the older couples ears, that sound was like thunder, loud and clear and more telling then just Tori's hand on Jade's. "Sorry about her." Tori said, smiling.

"Why do you always do that?" Jade growled. Tori reached over and squeezed her hand again, calming the pale girl once more.

"It means, since you and Beck broke up, and we started dating, it's become my job to apologize for you." Tori said, smiling at her girl.

"Understood." Andrew said. "Sometimes, it feels like our job, taking responsibility and owning up to what our loved ones do. But someone has to apologize."

"So, Andrew, I have a question." Cat said.

"This could be bad." Jade let slip, hiding her enjoyment at how confusing dealing with Cat could get.

"It can't be that bad, not can it?" Andrew asked, "So, Cat was it? Why don't you ask your question."

"Do your friends call you Andy, or Dru?" Cat asked.

"My friends call me Andrew." He said, but it looked like he was a little annoyed.

"Poor girl, no one to apologies for you, huh?" Michelle asked, a cruel smile on her face. The predator in her saw how Jade tensed up. 'Girls protective of her friends. I can use that. Just focus on how bad things could be if we fought in here, and how easy things would be outside. Bring the pain, dear, cause I feel like working up an apatite.' She wondered how much further she'd need to push things to get a reaction. "Must be sad, when no guys interested in playing with this pussy." She watched as Jade reacted.

"Back off." Jade cut in. "She may be annoying, and ditzy, and way too cheery, but she our friend, and I don't like letting outsiders taunt her on her lack of a boyfriend. Besides, she could have one, if she were willing to settle for a boy."

"So you're all saphoric?" Andrew asked. 'This is getting interesting. I wonder, just feed, or have me some fun first?'

"No, in this case, the guy Cat's interested in is more of a boy then a man." Tori explained. "Sorry Cat."

"Why apologize? It's true." Cat said. "But that still doesn't change the fact I kinda, sorta like him. I just don't wanna risk our friendship, so I don't date him."

"It's okay, Cat." Michelle said, fairly sure she'd had a good idea of just who the three girls were, and what they could, or would, do. "You can like a loser, if you want. It's not like your some goth freak who turned to girls because no decent boy would touch you." She smirked at Jade.

"Are you looking for trouble?" Tori asked. She was controlling her anger, as wazzed as she was, Tori seemed to drop into some practice and retained her calm.

"It's okay." Jade said, holding her own anger in check. Inside, she was almost laughing. 'The days when I'm chasing the hottest guy just to feel important are gone now. I have Tori, and this bitch has no idea what she's saying.'

Michelle could tell that Jade was calming, and wondered, briefly, if maybe she'd made a tactical mistake. Before she could push, Andrew spoke again.

"No, we don't have any problems with girls loving girls. Michelle just likes to push buttons." He gave his best smile, allowing himself to enjoy the anticipation. "So tell me about yourselves? What interesting things can you tell? Secrets that you've been dying to let the world know? Maybe, just maybe, one of you has a secret crush?" His voice took on a slight tone, one that could bend almost any will to his.

"One time, my brother..." Cat started.

"CAT!" Jade cut her off, ocean blue eyes seeming to push through her. "Sorry, but we don't know you that well yet. Maybe, later, but I highly doubt it. I don't like your girlfriend, and if I'm being honest, I'm feeling your a bit too forward. Also, stop looking at my girlfriend like she's a piece of lunch meat. Otherwise, I'll pull out my scissors and maybe do something unspeakable to your pretty face."

"Jade, we don't threaten people with scissors." Tori scolded. "Thats technically assault."

"I didn't do anything." Jade started to protect herself.

"Doesn't matter, one you've made the threat, it's assault. Battery is when you carry it out." Tori reminded her girlfriend.

"Yes officer Vega." Jade said mechanically.

"My dad's a cop." Tori told the couple, both explaining things, and letting them know to back off.

"Oh, her daddy's a cop." Michelle said. "Guessing that this one's your big rebellion, before you marry yourself a boy in blue and have his pro law enforcement babies." Her smile was directed at Jade. "Or her, since I hear their pretty open about that stuff around here. Either way, this one, she's so temporary, isn't she?"

"Michelle…" Warned Andrew. "Play nice." In his mind, he added 'with your food. Though, I wouldn't mind giving that Latina a go, maybe force her to enjoy it as I...Wait… She ignored my compulsion. My compulsion is stronger then Shellies, and she ignored it. How…?' A thought entered his mind, one that he wanted to force back, because it was too much of a coincident.

"What I'm saying is, scissors are the weapon of choice for losers and weirdo's who follow that lame Scissring movie like a twisted cult. It's not even like that movie was that realistic. I mean, when you stab someone in the lungs, yes, they do drown in their own blood, but they're not necessarily helpless. Not until their energy runs out. Like anyone drowning, they can still pull someone under, given a chance. I'd have thought a writer would have done more research on something like that..." The blonds smile was growing, feeling a dark victory in knowing she'd found the key to drawing Jade out into a fight.

"Sorry to ask, but I think I remember you from your performance at the Platinum Music Awards, then later on The Chris Burm Show." Andrew said, not worrying about the fight as much as a suspicion that was growing. "But I was wondering, cause the fan sights wouldn't agree, whats your middle name?" He added a bit of compulsion to his words.

"Her middle names Dawn." Cat offered up without so much as a moments hesitation..

Jade chuckled. "What? You think Dawn is a funny middle name, Miss Jadelyn Pandra West." Tori taunted.

Andrew went pale. It was like he was watching his life flash before his eyes. However, he didn't have time to relive all his many fond memories of his long, long past, so he focused on what he could. "Jadelyn Pandra West, thats, um, quite the name you got…." He looked to the side, barely holding back his growing sense of desperation, as he searched for some reason to get away from them all. Even his girlfriend was expendable, if it came to that. "Um, Michelle, can we talk?"

Tori in particular seemed interested in the sudden change. Her eyes abruptly focused on the two, like his reaction to Jade's middle name set off a red flag, with flairs illuminating the sky around it, and a band playing to highlight the moment. "Yea, it's a hell of a name, isn't it." She gave a half smile, but her mind was racing.

"Yea, but it makes sense, given that her daddy's named Blake Angelo West." Cat said, and even she had no idea why she provided that particular piece of information. "It's like, her family, they all have these weird names. It's like a family tradition. I wonder, sometimes, if it's just family names, cause her dad's hardly Italian, or maybe they have some hidden meaning to their names."

As Cat spoke, Jade looked to her friend, her mind reeling as to what was causing her friend to give away such private details. 'I mean, it's normal enough for Cat, but there's something wrong with this picture. Maybe...' Her eyes caught Tori's, and she could see that her girlfriend was studying the couple, especially Andrew. It was like something had triggered her suspicions. The famous girls coffee eyes were now studying the couple.

Meanwhile, much to Tori's concern, Andre seemed even more nervous at hearing Jade's fathers name. It was like, somehow, he knew them, and it was making him nervous just being around Jade. 'Normally, Jade manages to give people that feeling all on her own. But today, it feels like maybe, just maybe, they have a very different reason then most. If they suspect...' Her mind was pulled out of her thoughts by Jade squeezing her hand, offering a supportive smile, all while sending a clear message, "I'm behind you."

Andre had made up his mind, he needed to end this farce, and now. "Michelle, we need to talk about…" His heart was beating, pumping adrenalin through his veins. He knew his girlfriend could hear the sound echoing through the room, smell his fear growing. 'Come on Michelle, you have to realize who they are. You must know how dangerous this just got. Come on!' His thoughts were projected as hard as he could, but they weren't a telepathic species, and his girl could be so dense sometimes.

"Oh, all right." Michelle reluctantly said, standing up. "Just give us a minute." She smiled her smug smile at Jade, and allowed herself to be led away from their table and into the back area. From there, they went out the door and into the ally. The same ally she'd been trying to lure Jade, and her friends, into. "What?" She asked.

"You mean you haven't noticed" He asked.

"All I've notices is that I've been trying to compulse that bitch to follow us, but ganky face wasn't having it. It was like she was resisting my compulsions, without even trying. But, thats not likely, is it?" Concern now edged into her voice.

"You really have no idea, do you?" Andrew asked, rolling his eyes "What, you think their just another meal, maybe a bit of fun? I thought so, was anticipating how to add to the torment, up until I realized who they were, and just how dangerous things had become for us. You see, they're not food, not a couple of kids you can just take out then tell everyone you ran off. Not the Latina, and not her pale friend."

"Cause the thin one's fathers a cop?" Michelle asked. "Thats never stopped you before. Don't lie, you were looking forward to dragging her with us, having your way with her, then tossing her into the gutter, maybe draining her too, maybe just forcing her girl to watch you have her, then killing that bitch and moving on. I've been with you for over two centuries, and I know when you want to play. Hell, I was just gonna humiliate the goth chick, feed, and leave her as just another disappearance. Leave the really cruel stuff to you."

"Yea, you could do that, and we'd both be dead." Andrew shot back. He was holding his composure by the thinnest of threads. "You still have no idea, do you. You really don't. They up and tell you, and you still don't know. How have you lived this long? Really?"

"Okay, wise guy, tell me, what are they, a coupe of junior stakes?" Michelle scoffed. Most hunters died an early death, and no kids would have the kind of knowledge to stand up to them.

"We should be so lucky." He huffed. "Let me break it down for you. The goth, thats Jadelyn Pandra West, Daughter of Blake Anglo West. Two people from a family that has a long history of names with meanings. Titles. Do you have any fucking idea just who you were bating?!" He had no idea how he kept from yelling. His hands were shaking, and inside, he had this fear that someone would walk out and see them. He knew which someones he didn't want anywhere near him.

"Jadelyn Pandra West?" She guessed. "I remember the redhead saying as much. I mean, I guess those names might have some kind of meaning, but I can't see what either could be." She shrugged.

"Pandra is Gaelic, means chief dragon. That makes her Jade West, the The Jade Dragon of the fucking West." He clarified. "Daughter of the Black Angel of the West. Do either of those names mean anything to you?"

For several seconds, Michelle looked at her lover, the man who had taken her into this world of darkness over two hundred years ago. "Her girl, the Latin one, she knew what we were, didn't she?" She finally pushed out. She'd heard of those names, especially the Black Angel. He was not someone to be crossed lightly, by anyone or anything in the supernatural world. 'The goth, the Jade Dragon, she didn't know what we were, like that would have saved us if I tried anything. People like her, they have wards upon wards, and my first strike could well have dowsed me in holy water.'

"Yea..." He said. "Then again, she is Victoria Dawn Vega, the Victorious Morning Star."

"You know, not all names are titles." Michelle said. Only, she knew that name. "Then again, I kinda remember that name, and hers kinda is. I mean, if thats her, then her dads David Vega, the beloved star? You know, the latest in the Vega line of mystic police."

"Lets assume thats her." Andrew said. "That means, she's contemplating joining her families tradition of protecting the people from threats like..."

"Us?" Michelle suggested. She was calm, because freaking out would end her as quickly as attacking those girls. She'd trained long and hard to get calm when inside she was ready to melt.

"Us." He agreed.

"And she's dating the heir to the Warden of the fucking West." Michelle finished for him. "Imagine if that kind of power wasn't only reserved for the big things? If she was encouraged to cut loose, use all that power her family's been hording for the last few millennia, and unleash it against, whatever. The power used to find things, little things that used to be beneath their notice. They could change everything…."

Andrew was calming down. "She has a sister, you know..." He smiled. "The Vega girl, she has a sister. I-I knew a guy who stalked her, then took her out on a date. He was gonna rape and kill her, the sister, just to get inside their fathers head. Only thing was, it turns out that the Pure Light of the Morning Star, Katrina Lucy Vega, was already more then a match for a hundred and fifty year old vampire. Last I heard, he managed to succeed in one thing, cause a message was sent. Never mess with that family. Not unless you have numbers. Only, with the Wests, how many would it really take? Are there enough things hunting the night?"

Michelle laughed. "Man, what the holy fuck were we doing? I mean, how the hell did we wind up so close to a flaming death?"

"I should have realized something was off when the redhead was the only one responding to our compulsions." Andrew said, now almost totally calm. He was thinking again, ready to find some way to turn this to his advantge. "We're not dead yet. They're suspicious, but have no idea about our intent. For all they know, we could be reformed vampires, not feeding on human blood, trying to fit in, that kind of shit. Like I would ever reform..." He smiled at his girlfriend.

"So what should we do?" Michelle asked. "I mean, we could run..." She contemplated the message that would send the Vega's, already so used to hunting her kind.

"I suggest we go back in, act as naturally as possible, and you take on a more friendly tone." Andrew said. "That way, they won't know what we know, just that I talked to you, and your willing to be their friends. I mean, their still in high school. We look like we're in collage. They'll love to be our friends."

"Keep your friends close, and those who could turn your entire community into smoking ruins even closer?" Michelle teased. "Hay, I'm cruel, but I'm not the sadist in the couple. Thats you."

"And I wouldn't still be around if I didn't know how to hide it, control my impulses." He reminded her. "Now lets go, cause neither of them are ever likely to be vulnerable enough to get the drop on them. So lets go fool them into thinking we're a pair of those emasculated modern vampires that drink donated blood, and try not to hurt anyone." His voice was mocking towards the end.

Meanwhile, inside, Cat was listening to music as the couple spoke. She understood how alien this whole relationship thing was to Jade, being able to speak about her families secrets. Cat herself usually liked to stay far, far away from such topics. Today, however, she'd been dragged back inside.

"Vampires." Tori hissed.

"So we waste em, and thats that, right?" Jade asked, smiling at having a reason for unleashing hell on that smug bitch, Michelle.

"Not yet." Tori cautioned. "Too many people around. But did you see the way he reacted to your full name? Guy's more then aware of what you can do. That means either they run, or they bluff."

"How do you know their not sparkaly?" Cat asked. She knew vampires didn't sparkle, but it had become the mystic communities nickname for those who were trying to live with humanity, instead of on it. An insulting nickname, but one that stuck.

"I know the difference." Tori explained. "As soon as I was able, I called my spirit familiar, and had her take a look. Trust me, those two, they feed on people, and from what Mrs Whiskers said, one of them is none too nice. No, either we're hunting, or they try to bluff us. Either was, we get them alone, and we end this."

"I hope they run." Jade said, feeling her power just under her skin, flowing in her blood. Her family, for over a dozen generations, has maintained their power in the face of varying talents. All members of her line donate a fraction of their magics to the starlight citadel, which had become their families secret, a mystic battery constantly recharging, holding enough power to allow the least talented of them to wield magic like an archmagi. For someone like Jade, or her father, their power was the stuff of legends, deserving the fear the supernatural community had for them.

"I hope not." Cat said. "If they run, then Jadey will unbind my were, and I'll go all animal on them."

"I don't want a tiger running the streets of Los Angeles any more then..." Tori stopped. "They're coming back. Good. They've decided to try bluffing."

"What if they want to fight?" Jade wondered aloud.

"Not if they have a clue who you are." Tori said. "So, we're actresses, we play along, believe it when they say whatever lie they have. Later, as soon as we have a chance, we deal with them, once their away from people who might get caught in the crossfire. And Jade, my dad has asked, repeatedly, for you to replace your divots. We had to come up with excuses, claim multiple condemned buildings just to cover your last fight."

"Spoilsport." Jade said, sticking her tongue out at her girlfriend. Tori just smiled, kissing back at her.

"Hush now, their here." Tori said as they watched the vampire couple make their way back to the table.

:}

So, thoughts? Let me know what you think of this. I just, this was ready, and I needed to post.

Inspired by "Whisper in The Dark" by Azkadellio, but not really based on anything.


End file.
